Early September is traditionally when the „Gender Training of the Trainers Course (GToT)“ takes place at RACVIAC, as the Centre, once again, is partnering with the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations (NCGM) and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia to deliver the 14th edition of the Course.
Building on NATO-approved Course Documents developed by NCGM, as well as the lessons learned from similar courses conducted from 2014 onwards, this Course is designed to provide participants with knowledge, skills and competencies necessary to plan, conduct and evaluate gender-related education and training activities and integrating the gender perspective within their respective functional areas in both national and international contexts.
This year’s course brings together 26 participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, and the Crisis Management and Disaster Response (CMDR) Centre of Excellence from Bulgaria.
The Course kicked off today with an introductory session, during which Opening remarks were delivered by RACVIAC Deputy Director, RADM Predrag Stipanović, Ms Katarina Adžić from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia, LtC Lars Erlandsen from the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations (NCGM) and Ms Nura Mulavdić, Course Director, independent expert. The speakers welcomed the participants and highlighted the value of continued cooperation and practical training in support of integrating the gender perspective into security and defence education and training.
Over the course of two weeks participants will combine theoretical instruction with practical exercises, syndicate work, role-playing and assessments. The programme covers key areas such as the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, gender perspectives in military operations, gender analysis, gender biases in education and training, gender-inclusive language, and the prevention and response to gender-based violence, conflict-related sexual violence, and sexual exploitation and abuse. A particular emphasis will be placed on developing practical training skills.
RACVIAC long-standing engagement in the „Gender Training of the Trainers Course“, together with its ongoing partnership with NCGM, has contributed to the Centre being recognised as a regional hub for cooperation, knowledge exchange and practical training on gender perspectives in the security and defence sector, which connects institutions and participants from South East Europe and beyond.
The Course also reflects RACVIAC continued commitment to strengthening professional capacities in support of the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and the broader integration of gender perspectives in security and defence. In this context, this Course forms a part of RACVIAC wider engagement with NATO’s Education and Training community and its continued efforts to advance gender perspectives in the security and defence sector. RACVIAC participation in the 2026 NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives Annual Conference in Brussels and the Co-Located Annual Discipline Conference in Stockholm further contributed to this engagement.
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